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than an oddity or aviation artifact. After watching its maiden voyage and the effortless manner in which the pilot flew this graceful airframe, I was not only pleasently surprised, but hooked. I had to have the Me163B no matter what the cost. It was going to be mine. Joe Saiita once again has taken an outstanding design by Jim Kiehl and transformed it into a work of art. This 1/5 scale aircraft has a wingspan of 82 inches and is available in several versions. Joe offers pre-cut kits containing light plywood formers, spars, balsa ribs, and the cockpit components based on these drawings. Together with the clear canopy, the fiberglass cowl (nose cone) and most of the other flat balsa stock, the kit sells for around $200.00. A deluxe version is also available and includes a beautifully laid fiberglass fuselage. According to Joe, this will significantly reduce building time while reducing aircraft weight as well. For scratch builders the fiberglass cowl (nose cone) and the vacuum formed canopy are available from Joe as well at a reasonable cost. |
Me163B Komet |
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1/5 scale r/c aircraft |
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History of development |
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One of the most remarkable of the Wunderwaffen (wonder weapons) produced by Nazi Germany during World War II, the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet holds the distinction of being the first and only tailless rocket-powered interceptor to see operational service. Like the other advanced weapons fielded by Germany during the final year of World War II, the Me 163 had little actual effect on the outcome of the war. Considering the conditions under which it was developed and deployed, however, the Me 163 can be rightly considered a significant technological accomplishment. |
The concept for the Komet originated during the late thirties, when rocket propulsion for aircraft became increasingly attractive to a number of air planners in Nazi Germany. Although rockets potentially offered astounding performance advantages for an interceptor, their high fuel consumption posed seemingly insurmountable design difficulties. In spite of this, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium or RLM (Reich Air Ministry) supported the work of rocket engine designer Hellmuth Walter, issuing a contract in 1936 for the development of an 882 lb. thrust motor to be mounted in the airframe designated the He 176. Because the He 176, which had been designed solely as a high-speed aircraft with no military potential, the RLM ordered the Deutsches Forschungsinsitut für Segelflug (German Research Institute for Gliding Flight or DFS) to produce a second prototype- a tailless aircraft designed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch. It was also to be a rocket-powered design under a top-secret program designated Project X. |
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The unit made its first interception of Allied bombers on August 16, 1944 without success. Early combat experiences demonstrated a number of problems that prevented the Me 163 from ever becoming an effective weapon. Although the aircraft's two MK 108 30mm cannons were capable of downing a four-engine bomber with only three or four hits, the Komet's high speed, coupled with the cannons' slow rate of fire and short range made effective gunnery nearly impossible against the slow moving bombers. As a result, Me 163 pilots recorded a total of only nine kills. Although capable of reaching its service ceiling of 12,100 m (39,690 ft) in just under three-and-a-half minutes, the Me 163 carried only enough fuel for eight minutes of powered flight. After one or two firing passes, the pilot had to glide back to base with no means of escaping Allied escort fighters. In response to pilots' combat reports, alternative weapons, including vertically firing 50mm cannons triggered by a photocell as the Me 163 passed through a bomber's shadow were tested but not produced in quantity. An improved variant of the aircraft with a greater endurance and a tricycle landing gear, designated the Me 163 C, was also produced in small numbers before the war's end, but was not flown operationally. |
Despite problems encountered during testing, plans proceeded during 1943 to equip the first operational units with the operational version of the Komet, designated the Me 163 B-1a. This new designation reflects the involvement of Messerschmitt Aircraft Works due to competition between rival aircraft design/manufacturers at the time. |
The Kit |
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When I first saw this aircraft, I was certain that it would be challenging to fly at best. The Komet's design and construction seemed awkward to me and I believed that it would be nothing more |
than an oddity or aviation artifact. After watching its maiden voyage and the effortless manner in which the pilot flew this graceful airframe, I was not only pleasently surprised, but hooked. I had to have the Me163B no matter what the cost. It was going to be mine. Joe Saiita once again has taken an outstanding design by Jim Kiehl and transformed it into a work of art. This 1/5 scale aircraft has a wingspan of 82 inches and is available in several versions. Joe offers pre-cut kits containing light plywood formers, spars, balsa ribs, and the cockpit components based on these drawings. Together with the clear canopy, the fiberglass cowl (nose cone) and most of the other flat balsa stock, the kit sells for around $200.00. A deluxe version is also available and includes a beautifully laid fiberglass fuselage. According to Joe, this will significantly reduce building time while reducing aircraft weight as well. For scratch builders the fiberglass cowl (nose cone) and the vacuum formed canopy are available from Joe as well at a reasonable cost. |
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Pictured above is Kevin Shaw's Me163B. Standing next to him is Luftwaffe pilot Rudolph Opitz who was gracious enough to autograph Kevin's aircraft. |
Kevin took this Jim Kiehl design one step further and added a solid propellant rocket motor for added realism. Joe Saitta also offers a deluxe kit featuring a 105 inch wingspan with removable wings. This trademark feature can also be found on the Me262 displayed on this site. |
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